Dealing With the Aftermath
by Mitsuko Maxwell
Summary: Ratings might go up....It was over. Finally over. Naraku was gone, Miroku healed, and Kikyo finally put to rest. He could finally act out what he had been thinking about since that night a month ago. He could tell Kagome how she makes him feel.


Hoooo boy! I hope that you like this! It's a sequel? second chapter? to my first fic, Star's Light. But you don't have to read that to get this. I think.XD. And special thanks to Vicki for her support!  
  
Dealing with the Aftermath  
  
It was over. Finally over. Naraku was gone, Miroku healed, and Kikyo finally put to rest. He could finally act out what he had been thinking about since that night a month ago. He could tell Kagome how she makes him feel. What he dreams about when he sleeps. How much he wanted to grab her and kiss her until they were out of breath and panting. He could finally tell her; there was no one to threaten him, no one to find out his weakness for her. He walked to Kaede's hut, determined to tell her as soon as possible.  
  
"Kagome! I need to talk to you!" Inu Yasha pushed the flap aside, stepping into the room.  
  
"She is not here, Inu Yasha. She went to her time to prepare for tonight." Kaede answered him from her seat on the floor.  
  
"Tonight? What's happening tonight? And why didn't anyone stop her from leaving?!" Inu Yasha replied angrily, frustrated that he had not smelled her leaving.  
  
"Have you forgotten that tonight is the night of your transformation to human?" she answered." And I am too old to chase after Kagome every time she leaves."  
  
The whoosh of the flap falling into place was all she got, since Inu Yasha had already left for the well. 'Fine, I'll just tell her in her time then. Stupid wench, leaving without even telling me.' he thought, right before jumping into the well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: x  
  
The sun had almost set, and Kagome still wasn't ready. She still had to take a shower, get dressed, and make sure Souta did the same all in an hour! She was looking for her brother, when she felt a familiar tingle in her heart. 'I'm sensing a youkai. It must be Inu Yasha!' She went back to looking for her lost brother, when it hit her. 'Oh, crap! Tonight's the new moon! What am I gonna do with him? Wait! I can just bring him along!' She smiled at her thoughts, and ran outside to greet him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(^_^)  
  
"Inu Yasha! I'm so glad you came!" He saw her running towards him, a happy smile on her face. He was a little embarrassed that she was so happy to see him; he had a light blush on his face upon seeing her so excited.  
  
"Inu Yasha, do you know what's happening tonight?" she asked him as soon as she caught her breath.  
  
"It is the new moon, of course." He answered, a little worried that she might have forgotten. "Did you forget?"  
  
"Eh, not exactly.See, tonight's the night of a neighboring shrine's festival, and I promised the head miko, who's probably older and crazier than Grandpa, that I'd dance with her and her granddaughters. So, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come with me...And my family of course!" She added the last part, acutely aware that it sounded like she was asking Inu Yasha out on a date. 'If only I was that brave!' She blushed even further at that last thought.  
  
Inu Yasha thought about this. 'If I go with her to this festival thing, it might give me some time to tell her how I feel. Plus, I'll be able to see Kagome in a different outfit other than that ridiculous short skirt of hers, and see her dance! Two birds with one stone, if you ask me!'  
  
"Sure, I'll go. It would be better than being cooped up in your house all night with that lazy cat of yours." He smirked at the thought of Buyo, Kagome's obese cat. But then he frowned." I'm not gonna wear those damn clothes though. They fit me too tight."  
  
It was Kagome's turn to grin now. She fondly remembered how much the jeans and black t-shirt had clung to his well-defined body the one time she had convinced him to wear it. 'And the last time too. Bummer. His butt was a total killer! The modern outfit was much better than his normal, too-baggy outfit.'  
  
"How about just the pants?" she teased him, giggling at how pink he got. "Oh, don't worry, Inu Yasha, I'm just teasing you. I guess you can wear what you have on; since most people will assume that you are a member of the shrine or something." She sighed internally, at the thought of missing a chance to see Inu Yasha's hidden muscles, but she couldn't linger on it; she suddenly remembered what time it was!  
  
"Ack! I still need to get ready! Inu Yasha, do me a huge favor and get Souta dressed while I take a quick shower and get dressed. Thank yo~u!" Without waiting for a reply, she ran back into the house, leaving the hanyou-turning-human in her yard.  
  
Inu Yasha blinked once, twice, opened his mouth to say something, then just shook his head and began the search.  
One hour later.....  
  
".and then I said 'Cool' and she said 'Cool' back, so does that mean that she's my girlfriend? Cuz I don't want a girlfriend, girlfriends are girls, and girls have cooties, even though she has pretty hair, and she sat next to me during snack time the whole week, and she gave me her desserts during lunch and she said she really liked me. Should I have said I liked her back? I told her she has pretty hair and she smiled, but I still don't know whether we're boyfriend and girlfriend. And what do boyfriend and girlfriends do together? Do they play video games together? Do you know what they do together, inu-oneesan?"  
  
Inu Yasha had 'found' Souta only two minutes after Kagome had left him. Souta hadn't stopped talking since he first popped out of the bushes. He was talking to him while he helped him get dressed (a clean shirt and pants), he was talking while his mom combed his hair, and he was even talking as Inu Yasha was forced into a bath by Kagome's mom. Inu Yasha had lost count how many times he had to physically restrain himself from bopping Souta on the head like he did to Shippou. It was the first time Inu Yasha was ever glad that he did not have demon hearing. And when the kid stopped talking, Inu Yasha silently thanked the gods.Until Mrs. Higurashi came in.  
  
"Oh my goodness! You two look absolutely adorable together! Stand still so I can take a picture of you two! That is just so cu~~~uute! Souta, you look just like a little gentleman! And, my goodness, Inu Yasha! 'I'm just amazed! If only a short bath has that affect on you, imagine what a proper shower and trim would do! Oh my goodness!! Are all demons that cute or are you the only one? No wonder Kagome always rushes back to you! I have half a mind to jump down that well myself if that's what most demons look like!" Kagome's mom kept on babbling twice as fast as Souta. She also kept on making a bright light flash on a machine she held. 'Ah, I remember that. Kagome showed us that one.a camera? She said it took quick portraits of people. I'll still keep an eye on it though.you never know if it might actually be a demon.'  
  
"Mo~om! Calm down! You're gonna blind them at this rate!" 'Aha! So it can hurt me! Evil machine! I can take it!' Inu Yasha was reaching for Tetsuaiga (sp?) when Kagome grabbed the evil machine out of her mom's hands and placed it on the nearby table, thus stopping the threat of going blind.  
  
"I'm so sorry Inu Yasha! Sometimes my mom goes crazy with the photos - we have whole albums filled with pictures of people with surprised looks on their faces. She thinks she's an amateur photographer!" Kagome grinned sheepishly, but soon noticed that Inu Yasha was still stunned.  
  
He was stunned because no one had prepared him for the sight of Kagome in a kimono. It had layers that were pale-pink fading to a creamy white at the bottom. The design was a spray of sakura blossoms starting from the left shoulder down to the right foot. Her long black hair was in an elegant knot secured with silver pins. She wore no make up on her face, but Inu Yasha thought that she should never try to hide her face behind anything.  
  
"Ummmm, Inu Yasha? Are you okay?" She leaned forward to check his forehead, giving him a chance to let him smell the cherry blossom perfume his human nose found so enticing. That whiff was the straw that broke the camel's back. He couldn't handle it anymore! He was going to kiss her right here, in her living room, with her brother and mother watching them. He had to show her how much she meant to him. He had snaked out an arm to grab her with when.  
  
"Hurry up in there! We're gonna be late for the opening fireworks!" Kagome's grandpa yelled from outside the house.  
  
"Coming, Gramps! Just let me grab my sandals! Hurry everyone, into the car! Ack! We're already late! Hustle people, hustle!" Kagome pushed everyone out of the house and down the steps to the waiting car. Inu Yasha was still suffering from shock until he heard the car stop.  
  
"We're here, everyone!" Mrs. Higurashi announced when they had stopped in front of a shrine at least ten times larger than the Sunset Shrine. Inu Yasha noticed that there was a large clear space, he assumed for the dance Kagome had mentioned earlier, and a lot of different kinds of booths selling, food, toys, games, presents, goldfish, and.Ramen!!! Inu Yasha's eyes widened when he noticed all the different types of ramen were sold. He could just feel the saliva rushing to his mouth. He must have had a goofy grin on his face because he became aware of Kagome's light laughter.  
  
"Inu Yasha, you should see your face! Your eyes were as big as saucers!" She teased him for the second time.  
  
"Ok kids! I've given you your allowances already, and Kagome, remember to be at the bell tower half an hour before eight to get ready for the dance. Me and Gramps will be at the shrine's booth if you need anything." Mrs. Higurashi and the older man walked away, yelling back to have fun and make sure that Souta did not waste all his money on the goldfish game. Once they were gone, Souta spotted some friends from school.  
  
"Oh, please can I go with them, Kag? I have my watch on me and I promise that I'll be at the dancing area when you dance! Please!?" He begged his sister, and ran off to catch them as soon as she said the inevitable 'yes'.  
  
That left Kagome and Inu Yasha alone. It was only six o'clock, do that left them two and a half hours to spend in each other's company. There was an awkward silence between the two when neither of them made any move to say anything.  
  
"So, I guess you wanna look around first, right Inu Yasha? Since this is your first modern festival, and all." Kagome finally broke the silence, gesturing toward the game booths with her right hand. 'This really is like a first date! Ack! Now I'm nervous! What do I do? Do I hold his hand? Does he even know what a 'date' is? Wait.yeah, he does. I explained it to Sango and I know he was listening 'cuz I heard him snort. But does he think this is a date? I hope so!' So, with a determined expression on her face, she grabbed his hand and led him to a booth.  
  
Inu Yasha was in a happy, happy land. 'Ah, her hand is so small. I can feel her calluses from her archery. She really has gotten good. Maybe she does care for me.I should tell her how I feel after she dances. I just hope she feels the same.'  
  
An older couple watching Inu Yasha and Kagome sighed, each remembering their first date with each other, and how they felt.  
  
"Ah, to be so young and in love, eh Satsuma?"  
  
"Yes, young couples are so cute to watch! The range of color the human body can go through is amazing! Why, I remember the first time I grabbed your butt, you turned this beautiful deep red; it reminded me of ripened tomato!"  
  
"And I remember that when I slapped you for that, your face was red for two days! Ah, those were wonderful days."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(^_^)  
  
M&M: There! That's the first chapter of my new story! A continuation of my first story, Star's Light. That's for everyone who asked that I continue it!  
  
Inu Yasha: NOO! Who asked her to write more!? I'll find you all!!  
  
M&M: Inu Yasha! No threatening the readers! It's bad for business! (  
  
Miroku: Hey! How come Sango and I aren't in this one?! I demand a chance to grope her! OW! Sango, stop aiming for vital spots!  
  
Sango: Then stop trying to GROPE me!!  
  
Miroku: Hey, I'm just trying to live up to all the people's expectations! It's hard work being a pervert all day!  
  
.  
  
M&M: Ummmm..to answer your question Miroku, I don't think you'll be in here DIRECTLY. However, I did sneak you in kinda at the end! Doesn't that old couple sound familiar? Huh, huh? :D  
  
Shippou: But what about me! Even Kaede got a part in this story, and I'm a LOT cuter than her!!  
  
M&M: Er, well.about you.Ummmm..I put a little bit of you into Souta.is that okay? And Souta/Shippou didn't get bopped!  
  
Shippou: Oh.okay!  
  
M&M: Yay!  
  
Inu Yasha: Wait a minute!!! What's this about me wanting to jump Kagome in front of her family!? I have SOME MORALS YA KNOW!!! And why am I not cussing!!!???  
  
Kagome: I kinda liked that about this story.  
  
M&M: Dat's why I put it in there! And you couldn't resist Kagome Yasha- chan!  
  
Yasha-chan: YASHA-CHAN???!!!! NO ****ING WAY ARE YOU ****ING CALIING ME 'YASHA-CHAN'!!!! And stop bleeping me out ya little *****! ARGH! I'M GONNA **** ***IF *** DON'T ****ING **OP DO*** T**T!!! AAAA**R*R**G**G******H!*!*!*!  
  
M&M: Bwahahahahahaha!!! I shall call him..'Inu-chan'!!! 


End file.
